Brawn confident of containing rivalry

Mercedes boss Ross Brawn says he is confident that any possible disagreements between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg wouldn't be allowed to have a detrimental affect on Mercedes' campaign on track.

The pair are friends away from the circuit and have proved to be relatively evenly matched on it so far this season – although Hamilton has picked up 28 points more in the opening five races of the year.

Speaking to ESPNF1, Brawn admitted he was well aware that there would come a time when the pair had a disagreement and said it would be down to the team to resolve any issues quickly.

"Our drivers get on well, they have raced together before, they have got some nice history together, but we all know there will be events and incidents where they get angry with each other," he said. "But that's natural, they are competitors and it's important that we recover from those very quickly so it doesn't become damaging. But they will have their moments for sure."

With no such issues having arisen so far, Brawn said he was pleased with the way the two drivers were working together to help Mercedes move forwards.

"I think with any driver you need the pace and speed, because without that you are not going to succeed - the first thing any top F1 driver needs is the pace,” he said. “Then you need an intelligent approach and if you both drivers working in harmony to improve the car and the way the team works, then you've got an ideal situation.

"Our drivers work very well together as team-mates, they want to beat each other and they are very quick and that's combination that we are enjoying at the moment."

Meanwhile, looking to the Monaco Grand Prix next weekend, Brawn added: "The priority is always to get the drivers comfortable with the unique challenge the circuit presents and to give them a set-up they feel confident pushing to the limit. Both Nico and Lewis have historically been incredibly competitive in Monaco and this weekend will certainly allow their talent to shine. The engineering team will be focused on getting the most from our car on the slow, bumpy layout and there will of course be particular emphasis on achieving tyre consistency and durability."